


25 Days of Fluff (Fluffcember 2020)

by Fyre_flakes



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluffcember, Gen, also some less fluffy but still wholesome stuff, how does one write fluff anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 13,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27893161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyre_flakes/pseuds/Fyre_flakes
Summary: Prompts for the 25 days leading up to Christmas Day. Ideally to be completed in around fifteen minutes, while being around 500 words, with minimal editing. In practice, the time limit was basically thrown out a quarter-way through. Stories range from fluff to comedy to occasional seriousness. Follow the different Kamihama magical girls in their relationships with each other!Check chapter 1 for an index guide.---Highlights: Yumi teases Ikumi, Ren and Rika celebrate a special day, Sana and Kokoro meet on a snowy day, Hazuki and Nanaka try to not get caught, and more.Most Recent UpdatesChapter 24: Alina and Karin meet under mistletoe.Chapter 25: Yachiyo confesses to Iroha.Chapter 26: Days after Christmas, the Kamihama girls have a New Year's Eve party.
Relationships: ??? & Sarasa Hanna, Akino Kaede/Minami Rena, Alina Gray/Misono Karin, Amane Sisters, Ami Ria & Kozue Mayu, Ayano Rika/Isuzu Ren, Eri Aimi/Hayato, Futaba Sana & Awane Kokoro, Izumi Kanagi & Midori Ryou, Kamiha☆Magica, Kurumi Manaka & Ibuki Leila, Makino Ikumi/Yumi, Miki Sayaka & Sakura Kyouko, Mitsuki Felicia & Yui Tsuruno, Miwa Mitsune/Kazari Jun, Nanami Yachiyo/Tamaki Iroha, Riz Hawkwood/Corbeau (one-sided), Sakurako & Miyako Hinano, Shinobu Akira & Kisaki Emiri, Tamaki Ui & Mokyu, The Azaleas Bloom, Togame Momoko & Yakumo Mitama, Yakumo Mikage & Sawa Sudachi, Yayoi Kanoko & Tatsuki Asuka
Comments: 26
Kudos: 33





	1. Handholding (Momoko & Mitama)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For easier access and selection, the different stories are categorized by general tone using their chapter numbers. Look them up in the index for a preview of the relevant characters.
> 
> Wholesome Fluff - 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26  
> Lighthearted Absurdity - 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 26  
> Heavier Wholesomeness - 2, 3, 9, 10, 20, 22, 26  
> Angst - 12
> 
> \---  
> Welcome to the beginning of Fluffcember, which I have already started late! To make up for that, I'll be posting two prompts a day whenever I fall behind. I already know there's going to be inconsistent posting because of real life stuff, but will do my best.
> 
> Real talk, fics like this where time is limited and no editing is allowed are nightmares for me. This is a great opportunity to create something for the MR fandom though and I'm looking forward to what everyone writes! If anyone's thinking of doing it but are on the fence, would encourage you to still go for it. It's scary, at least for me, but it'll be a great learning experience if nothing else. That is how I'm thinking of it.
> 
> Hope you all find something to enjoy in these short works, and happy 25 days of fluff!

Momoko could never get used to the white-haired girl’s flirtatious attitude. She was endlessly coy, never open about what went on behind-the-scenes in her head. Momoko just didn’t get her.

That didn’t stop her from hanging out at the Coordinator’s all the time though. Killing familiars in exchange for her coordination services was more than a fair deal. In the process, they might just have spent more time together, through happenstance. What else were you supposed to do when you were both magical girls sworn to fight deadly monsters and with no one else to share such matters with?

There were many things Momoko didn’t want to share besides that though.

Unfortunately, Mitama was closing in on them.

“So, Momoko-san, what is that delightful sparkling color I see in the depths of your schoolbag?”

The blonde girl hurriedly closed her bag. “It’s nothing!” She exclaimed.

“Ara ara, nothing, just like the nothing of your animal-print panties?” Mitama coyly smiled, giving Momoko a knowing look.

She flushed, but there was nothing she could do about the coordinator invading the inner recesses of her privacy. It was an unchangeable side effect. This was not something else she needed the coordinator to find out and make fun of her for though.

Unfortunately, the coordinator had other plans.

She slipped past the distracted girl and in one fell swoop, tore open the not-zipped bag and grabbed what was inside.

“Nail polish? Momoko-san, why didn’t you just say you wanted a manicure?” Mitama exclaimed, to Momoko’s surprise, in genuine excitement.

“It doesn’t fit me. I’m not girly enough for that.”

“Nonsense, you are a spectacular girly girl. Animal print underwear and all.” Mitama winked at her.

“If that’s all you’re going to say-!” Momoko tried to snatch the nail polish back. It had been an impulse buy from the local drugstore and she was already regretting her decision.

“Come now, Momoko.” Mitama turned serious. “This is a real offer. I’ll paint your nails, free of charge, no extra cost, Coordinator’s word. It can be an extra bonus for the months of work you’ve put into keeping me safe. Even Momoko-san deserves to look cute and girly, don’t you think?”

Backed into a wall and torn between the desire to express her girly side and the embarrassment she internalized, Momoko grunted. “Fine, you can do what you want.”

As efficiently as she conducted her adjustment services, the coordinator sat Momoko in a nearby chair, unscrewed the nail polish cap, and took out the brush inside. She wiped the excess polish on the inner side of the bottle.

Then delicately, as if she were taking into her hand a frail flower, she held Momoko’s hand in place as she positioned the nail polish brush.

Layers of hot pink paint built on Momoko’s fingernails, sweeping her reservations aside as she instead eagerly watched Mitama finish the nail polish job. It would look weird on her wouldn’t it, when she had this boyish of a physique and personality. But she wanted to see the final result.

Finally, Mitama finished the nails on one hand, Momoko’s hand still lightly gripped in hers, and announced, “Ta-da, the new and refined Momoko-san! What do you think?”

Nestled in the coordinator’s hand were five pink, girly flowers, one on each nail. They couldn’t have looked more off-putting on her, but she loved them even so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think Mitama can help Momoko become more girly and express herself in that way more.


	2. Dreams (Felicia & Tsuruno)

Sometimes when Felicia dreams, she finds herself in a dark and watery world, choked with a thickness reminiscent of concrete sludge. In that world, she is alone. The stuffed cow her parents bought for her floats off in a corner, there are remnants of charred, broken wood and tiling, but besides that, it is a lonely world.

Sometimes she fights witches, slamming them with her hammer over and over, positive that during this dreadful game of whack-a-mole, she will find the one witch that killed her parents.

Sometimes she plays by herself, before finding abandoned buildings or unoccupied street ends to sleep in. The wanted posters follow her, reminding her that her mercenary life can never end.

In the middle of it all, she feels something watching her, waiting for her to truly fall unconscious. It sits on its box or sometimes her stomach until she feels she could throw up.

Nowhere is there light or warmth.

And yet sometimes, heat leaks into her dark world where she lies sleeping. Flashes of orange and yellow appear across the broken tiling, as fast and fleeting as fire. They scare her for some reason, but when it’s joined by soothing pink and a demanding blue and soft-spoken green, she doesn’t feel as alone anymore.

That fire appears in her dreams now, a cheerfully crackling blaze that never fails to notice when she’s feeling down or to cheer her up or who has the patience to teach her things in ways she understand, that follow her unique way of thinking about the world.

In her dreams now, there is a still dark and watery world, choked with mud and sludge. Sometimes she is still alone. That thing still watches her.

But there is also fire, the warmth of companionship that was denied to her in prior years.

She dreams of a ranch, where she can one day bring those dearest to her to, under the light of a summer sun. She dreams of fire that will one day help her burn through her forgetfulness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took me a while to think of something for. But once I landed on it, I was pretty excited. If there is any MR character who I would associate the most with dreams, it would be Felicia.


	3. Cuddling (Iroha/Yachiyo)

When she woke up, a mass of dark, almost-black strands greeted her. At first she thought she had been sucked into a labyrinth. Then the warmth of the bed and the comfort of the blankets keyed her in as to where she was.

Yachiyo was a fickle sleeper, and this was what happened almost every time they slept together.

She moved herself over until she was touching Yachiyo’s back and gently nudged her head. The sleeping girl murmured and then accepted the arm that slid below to cushion her neck.

She then wrapped her other arm around Yachiyo’s waist and cuddled into her, relishing the closeness. It was the first time in a long while that she could have considered herself this happy.

It’s not that she was unhappy before they started dating. Their ‘family’ was a source of immense joy to both of them. She simply had felt something was missing. And now she was complete. That was what she told herself, while holding the one person who would be here for her through all the trials they had yet to face. She had to believe that.

Shuffling sheets alerted her to a change in Yachiyo’s sleeping status. There was a yawn and then Yachiyo groggily turned around. 

Rubbing her eyes, she succumbed to her companion’s embrace again before sleepily saying, “You’re awake already? It’s barely light out.”

“I always get up earlier then you, remember? My body’s too used to it.”

“Hmm, fair enough.” The blue-haired girl pressed herself into her even more, nuzzling under her chin. “But don’t get up yet. I want to be like this longer.”

Yachiyo’s slim frame fit so perfectly into her arms, despite their height difference.

“I won’t,” she said.

Calm filtered into her heart. There was something to be said about them being together. Something that defied the beaks that would otherwise tear up her heart. What she did that day hadn’t been a mistake.

Breathing in the vaguely sweet drifting scent coming from Yachiyo, she wrapped them even closer together.

She whispered, “It’s a promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end result is okay to me now. Starting the prompt was agony though. Writing fluff is not my forte, and it's hard to write something extremely sweet that's also meaningful. Have mixed feelings about this one, but it'll do.


	4. Teasing (Ikumi/Yumi)

“Yumi-chaaaaaan, how does this make me look?”

The maid batted her eyes at her friend, stepping into an eye-catching idol pose complete with hand heart. A shockingly cute black and white uniform puffed out on her, resplendent with frills and lace. A lacy headdress kept her hair in place. She thought it looked pretty good on her. Not as wonderful as an idol costume would but still adorable.

After reuniting with Yumi-chan during the witch fight, she wanted to show this to Yumi-chan so that she knew she was working just as hard for their dreams. 

Yumi-chan burst out laughing.

“That’s so funny; that’s the uniform you wear at work?”

“Yumi-cha---- n!” Ikumi voiced her displeasure and pouted. They hadn’t talked to each other in a while, but she hadn’t thought Yumi would become this mean. “Why are you laughing? Isn’t this absolutely adorable? It’s just like the idols we watched as kids!”

The volleyball player rested on her stomach from her place on Ikumi’s bed. Her legs absentmindedly waved behind her as she wiped mirthful tears from her eyes.

She smiled and said, “It looks exactly like your magical girl costume. So that’s why your costume was so maid-like and not idol-like.”

“Hey~~ what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, nothing, I see that the maid cafe you saved is really important to you.” She sat up. “I’m happy that’s the opportunity my wish got for you! You do look adorable, especially with your shorty legs being almost covered by the skirt and knee-high stockings.” Yumi-chan smiled to lighten the impact of her words, and Ikumi’s heart skipped a beat.

Wait.

Skipped a beat? Like what she did for her fans?

That was completely wrong! She was the one meant to be capturing hearts, not Yumi-chan anymore! How could she attain Yumi-chan’s idol dream if her heart was being captured instead of the other way around?

This meant a doubling-down on her cuteness factor!

“Meanie-pants,” She scrunched her eyes up and clasped her fists by to her chest until she looked like a >.< emoji. “I can’t believe you’d focus on me being just a teensy little bitty shorter than missus tall volleyball player when little ol’ me is this small and adorable. I’ll show you just how cute I can be, and turn that negativity into positivity! Ikumi loveeeeee beam!”

Yumi clutched her chest. “Oof, I’m hit! I see the error of my ways, and how endearing my sweet childhood friend is. Instead of her height, I should have realized her old-fashioned persona is her charm point!”

“It’s not old-fashioned! It’s just how idols act!”

Something twang in her chest. Even while Yumi was being mean and making fun of her, she kept her eyes on Ikumi the entire time.

Having all of that attention on her made her feel weird.

It compelled her to move closer.

She leaned over her childhood friend. Yumi-chan had changed in the time they hadn’t seen each other. Though freckles were not at all the beauty standard in Japan, she found that the freckles lightly dusted over Yumi’s cheeks and nose were adorable. She’d always had a good physique, and her growth spurt and volleyball playing had probably only enhanced that.

Yumi looked right back at her, her eyes never leaving Ikumi’s. Even though Ikumi wasn’t singing and dancing front of a crowd, maybe this was what capturing a fan’s heart felt like anyway.

Maybe she’d always had that fan’s heart.

_“Yumi-chan made her wish for me.”_

A smile melted back onto Yumi’s face.

She said, “Why don’t you drop the idol act… and just be yourself with me, Ikumi? You’re cute no matter what you do or wear. I’ve missed you.”

Ikumi grinned and sat down on the bed by her. “Alright, Yumi-chan. But don’t you dare call me old-fashioned again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, this took significantly more than fifteen minutes to write. I started doing research into what Ikumi's clothes looked like and then her doppel and then early Japanese idols and then the time disappeared. 
> 
> Ikumi and Yumi is lowkey something I've shipped since I first read Ikumi's MSS though!


	5. Body Swapping (Ui & Mokyu)

Days before the start of a new school year, Ui woke up and blurrily thought that something seemed different about her surroundings. Was the bar counter always that high? When did she fall asleep in the living room? ...And more importantly, why did she feel so light and hunched over?

Unable to control her limbs properly, she tumbled off the couch pillow and onto the floor.

“Mokyu!” She squeaked.

“Kyu?! Mokyu-kyu???” She continued yelping in shock.

Footsteps headed her way.

“Did something happen to the little Kyubey?” Felicia said. “It’s being so noisy first thing in the morning.”

Yachiyo, leading the way, said, “Let’s check on it. Usually it runs in and out all the time like a cat before anyone’s awake, without demanding anything, so this is strange.”

That was it! If anyone could help her out, it would be Yachiyo and her sister! They had to wake up her sister too!

Being quadruple-legged was easier to get used to than she thought and she bounded over to the incoming pair.

“Pyu! Kyu-kyu!” Were her facial muscles activating at all?? Why did incubators have to be emotionless?

Felicia picked her up and held her in front of the blonde girl. Ui squirmed as her hindlegs dangled in mid-air.

“What’s gotten into you, little guy?” Felicia said. “Do you want food? I’m hungry too.”

“Mokyuuuu!”

Now Yachiyo took over. She took the furry creature from Felicia and cradled her, petting her head. Ui enjoyed the sensation but this wasn’t where she should be. School was going to start in barely four more days and she’d been looking forward to that for so long! She couldn’t go to school like this!

Yachiyo said, “Let’s bring it to Iroha. It always seemed to like her the most even after Ui’s spirit was restored to her body.”

\---

Ui impatiently waited for Yachiyo to climb the stairs to her and her sister’s bedroom. She’d never been scared of heights before, but looking down from Yachiyo’s arms almost made her feel queasy. She wondered how the little Kyubey could happily climb onto their shoulders and heads without any reservation. Maybe it was an incubator thing?

Sana had joined them, drawn by the commotion.

The four of them arrived at the sisters’ bedroom and Yachiyo knocked.

She called, “Iroha? Ui? Are you two awake? The little Kyubey’s been crying out a lot.”

“Piiii!” Ui punctuated the announcement with an affirmative cry.

The door opened.

Instead of her sister, as she had expected, she saw her own body standing there, looking strangely liftless, with slouched posture and almost lifeless eyes. Her sister was right behind her body, looking worried.

Her body raised a notebook and pointed to something written on it in Ui’s favorite pen, which she’d left out on her desk the night before.

*Mokyu?* It read.

“Mokyu!” She responded.

There was a shocked outcry among all the Mikazuki Villa members present.


	6. Swimming (Beach Trips, what beach trips) (Sayaka & Kyouko)

“Yo, Sayaka.” Kyouko leaned against Sayaka’s school desk, chewing on a stick of pocky in blatant disregard for their school’s “no eating in class” rule.

Sayaka grimaced. She whipped her head around to survey the classroom and then dragged Kyouko down so she could whisper to her. “Again? I’m not doing bathroom cleaning duties with you anymore if a teacher catches you.”

“Relax will ya. I’ll be out of your hair soon. Got a favor to ask.” She swallowed the pocky portion and then stood facing Sayaka, her hands in her pockets- was that embarrassment directing her gaze downwards? “Uh, do you remember when we went to the beach after the Kamihama coordinator messed with my swimsuit?”

“Yeah?”

“Uh, and remember how you were teaching me how to swim.” Kyouko was definitely trying to not flush. It looked physically painful for her to continue with what she was requesting.

Sayaka stood up, collegially put an arm around her friend’s shoulders, and conspiratorially stage whispered, which drew some weird stares from their classmates, “Does miss high and mighty lone wolf actually need help with something?”

“Shaddup, can you teach me how to swim again? The pink-haired kid helped me learn how to float at least, but I still need someone to show me how to move forward and fast. You’re the best person I know to teach this.”

“Great we’re going to the beach!”

“No way are you crazy?! It’s December!”

\---

After school, after wrangling Kyouko into the school-provided gym swimsuit but unfortunately not to the beach, the two of them treaded water in the school swimming pool. Her goggles tinted even Kyouko’s flaming red ponytail blue. It was like looking at the world from underwater, creating a strange sense of déjà vu she didn’t understand.

But more pressing matters demanded her attention.

“Stop! Extend your arms, don’t pull them in!”

She splashed the water in an exaggerated demonstration but it was too late. Kyouko bobbed below the surface and Sayaka rushed to rescue her like a knight in nylon armor.

Above water, Kyouko coughed, spitting out chlorinated water.

Sayaka dragged the two of them to the pool wall where the coughing girl could take a break.

Kyouko spat out something that was more spit than water. Gross. But Sayaka wouldn’t say anything. They already got into enough snippy arguments, and it was a small miracle that the prideful girl had humbled herself to ask for help a second time. She used to hate the girl’s guts but over time (and with copious intervention from Madoka, Homura, and sometimes even Mami, when Kyouko bothered to listen to her), they were no longer at each other’s throats. The loner became less selfish. She became more self-reflective. They could even call one another friends, maybe.

She not unkindly asked, “Didn’t you say you learned to float from Ui-chan?”

Kyouko grumbled. “She helped me learn yeah. Never said how successful I was at it.”

“Dummy,” Sayaka affectionately said. “First you help people who aren’t you, now you’re trying to do something the proper, hardworking way even though it doesn’t benefit you. What’s gotten into you?”

The red-haired girl frowned and wrung out the water in her hair, a futile task given that they would be returning to practicing right after. “I dunno. Everything feels different after we thrashed the cackling witch. Ya felt it too right? Everyone was connected during that fight. I could feel the fear and hope of some Kamihama girls I’d never seen in my life like it was my own. It was…” 

Kyouko mumbled something to herself. 

“It was what?”

“Nothing. But it’s like how you are now with that Kyousuke guy. You asked him to go get lunch with you, despite being an absolutely scaredy-cat.”

She grinned and shielded herself as Sayaka splashed water towards her. “T-t-that wasn’t anything special!” Sayaka exclaimed. “He happened to be free over the weekend and we’re friends s-so naturally we should do something fun!”

Kyouko continued to smirk. “Sure goody two shoes. But main point is, maybe just like you, I wanted to try something new, and if you don’t have a problem with that, help me learn how to swim already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a looong time since I’ve seriously examined Kyouko and Sayaka. Could not even pinpoint their voices because PMMM them are completely different people from their MR selves. I became disinterested in their MR selves frankly, shocking if considering they were my favorite PMMM ship and not shocking if considering how much all of the PMMM cast but especially Kyouko and Sayaka were neutered in MR. Some of their event story and MSS appearances were fun though.


	7. Celebrations/Rewards (Ren/Rika)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to disregard the time limit lol. That will now be a very loose guideline. Don't think it's worth the stress when I'm just trying to complete these prompts in-between doing other stuff.

A night of celebration, a night of revelry. That was what Christmas Eve had always meant to Ren, and tonight was no different. She nervously checked the setup. Christmas lights with arrayed bulbs tacked onto the walls? Check. A small Christmas tree in the corner of her room? Check. (It was fake unfortunately. Her mom wouldn’t let her carry in a real pine tree, citing the needles and other debris it would bring in as too much trouble. Maybe someday she could have a proper Christmas!) Cookies and milk for Santa? Check. A present snuggly sitting below the synthetic pine needles, nestled within cotton snow. Check.

Her phone buzzed.

*I’m here!* The text read.

She shot up and sprinted for the front door.

Rika was already making small-talk with her mom, cheerfully smiling and laughing as she unwound her scarf and tramped off the snow covering her boots. Ren couldn’t be happier to see her.

“Rika-chan!” She ran up to Rika and hugged her, feeling the girl’s small frame bulked up by her thick but still stylish coat.

“Ren-chan!” Rika hugged her back. “Merry Christmas! I was just telling your mom the same. The food smells totes amazing too!”

“C-can we go to my room first? I want to show you something…” Even after a year of dating, Ren still faltered over her sentences.

“Yep let’s go! I have something for you too.” Rika grinned.

Her mom called to them as Ren pulled Rika to her room, “Come back soon for dinner, Ren, Rika-chan. I made your favorites.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Isuzu!”

Rika giggled at Ren’s haste. She entwined their fingers as they arrived at her bedroom door. “So what’s the big surprise? I’m looking forward to what you’ve been working on for so long.”

“Y-you’ll see, yes. Um, c-can you close your eyes…?”

“Can do.” She sneaked a kiss in before shutting her eyes as requested. Ren went as red as a tomato. How was Rika always this sweet? She really hoped she would like everything. Collecting herself, she opened the door and led Rika inside. 

“You can look now.”

Rika gasped. Besides the miscellaneous decorations, scores of other colored pages and paper pieces littered the room. Each scattered piece of paper had pictures colored-on in sketchy, lightly shaded color pencil. 

“It looks just like the dream we shared at Mitama-san’s place! You even made a Chuunta! It’s like a winter wonderland.”

“Hehe.” Ren awkwardly shuffled her feet. “D-do you… like it?”

“Ren, I love it. It’s perfect for today.” She gave Ren a chaste kiss on the cheek. “If you hadn’t told me how you felt that night, we wouldn’t be where we are now. I knew you were doing something big and I would never have expected this. Next year I’ll have to do even better.”

They hugged under the dangling ceiling ornamentation, the paper clouds and aurora lights that caught the glow of the Christmas lights surprisingly well. Chuunta hovered by meticulously-placed paper cut-out snowflakes and a miniature sleigh rested on the table with cookies and milk. In the center of it all, a carefully designed pop-up card that had taken days of trial-and-error to create showed a giant glass globe with two hand-holding figures lost in the joy of Christmas.

Ren kissed Rika on the forehead and said, “H-happy one-year anniversary, R-Rika.”


	8. Biting (one-sided Liz/Corbeau)

Another day, another battle.

The roar of battle, of swords clanking, armor shattering, and men crying (in bloodlust or pain she couldn’t tell) hemmed her in on all sides. This chaos was where she now lived, for the sake of birthing the greatest hero the country would ever see. Even if this was only a dream, it was an all too familiar sight.

Arm snapping up, she deflected the black feathers that had been aiming for her eyes. Did ravens like eyes? Is that why this dratted magical girl couldn’t leave her alone?

“Black Beauty! Come on, I’m waiting for you to play with me!”

She merged with the shadow of a man behind her and leapfrogged between shadows, away from the English girl. This was ridiculous. It was good that girl had some sort of weird obsession with her, so she could successfully distract Corbeau as was her mission right now, but it really made her life more difficult in all other circumstances. The raven-masked girl simply could not take a hint.

Taking advantage of Corbeau’s confusion in not knowing where she went, she jumped into Corbeau’s shadow and sprung out behind her, shadow dagger manifested and poised to kill.

She struck, quick as a viper.

Corbeau turned but was too slow in stopping the attack.

Even so, Liz’s blade bit into her front shoulder instead of her soul gem.

The hooded girl screamed in agony and Liz winced at the loudness. Her wail of agony quickly turned into giggles of pleasure.

“Haha, that’s it, you’ve still got it, Black Beauty. Now why don’t I pay you back triple for this insignificant flesh wound you’ve bestowed on me?”

She grabbed Liz’s arm. Magic poured from her hand. 

“No more running away for you!”

Her shadow powers drastically decreased, as if they were being suppressed. The well of magic she used to be able to draw on at will, as a result of her wish, now felt like it was sealed by a thick wall.

“Shit.”

Corbeau must have acquired a new ability. Liz dropped down and kicked at her legs, trying to buy her time to escape.

Corbeau tumbled but it was a controlled fall, and she rolled in mid-air, putting Liz into an even more disadvantageous position. One hand sent razor-blade feathers at her and she hissed from the pain of fresh, poisoned cuts. Corbeau’s other arm choked Liz.

So she did the only thing she could do on short notice. She chomped down hard on Corbeau’s arm, augmenting the bite’s strength with magic, and ripped through part of Corbeau’s magical girl outfit as well as the outer layer of skin and muscle.

Corbeau howled in joy, and this time Liz escaped for real, running inelegantly from the fray while calling for the troops to retreat. She’d bought enough time for Tart and the others to capture the town without the English girl’s interference.

The raven-headed girl called after her, “Hehe, you’re as fascinating as ever, Black Beauty! I look forward to what challenge you’ll pose to me next time we meet!”

Liz didn’t dignify her with a response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough*. I might have forgotten I was trying to write fluff. But this was honestly too perfect an idea to pass up. No one gets their arm bitten off at least, which was my initial idea.


	9. Romance/Intimacy (Amane Sisters)

“Tsukuyo-chan, have you ever wondered what we would be like if we hadn’t made our wish?”

The two sisters sat on a stone wall surrounding Mizuna Shrine, secluded from the public. Visiting hours weren’t over and people still thronged over by the shrine plaques, sending their wishes to god. The Amanes knew, however, that wishes were only granted through miracles or magic.

“It has crossed my mind, Tsukasa-chan. I do believe we would have resumed hating one another at a later instance.”

“Yeah, I agree! It’s lucky Kyubey showed up when it did.”

They looked behind them, towards the visitation space, in unison. The priests ushered visitors, tourists and locals alike out. Then they took off their temple garb, locked up the gates, and most similarly left, besides the head priest who stayed in quarters far from the sisters’ favorite spot.

“How much time remains before you must return to prepare dinner?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“Ample time for our tradition.”

“Yep. Let’s go, Tsukuyo-chan.”

This was the place where they first met, strangers who shared the same face and voice. It was a holy site to them, imbued with the power of miracles.

In their rare moments of respite, here they returned to being as free and connected as they had been from the moment they were born.

They faced each other at the foot of the shrine, mirror images carrying mirrored instruments.

And knowing each other’s hearts, having practiced the same song countless times, in the same way, with the same understanding, they sang with their flutes without needing any cues.

The notes were crystal, shrill and sharp as blooming petals slicing through the night, before melding into a liquid river below a whole moon. Two distinct harmonies, one higher-pitched and bright, another breathier yet more staccato, formed the same melody, a story of loss and reunion; conflict and bonding; and two joined into one united whole, like Mizuna Shrine’s myth of estranged lovers.

Ten minutes passed, their song heard only by them just like the tempo they swayed to the beat of, and the last concluding measure tapered off in a diminishing whole note.

They breathed as one and smiled.

“A spectacular duet, Tsukasa-chan. Your staggered breathing has improved.”

“And your trills have gotten better!”

“This has been wonderful, Tsukasa-chan, but I suppose the time for our farewell is nigh. It would not do if Father becomes angry at you.”

They hugged and waved goodbye at the shrine gate, pulled back to their respective stations.

But at the shrine where they first met, their relationship was born from and is born anew through miracle encounters. And despite the strain their differences imposed on them, they can only love one another, a wish manifested through miracles, and maintained through “magic”.

This is their magic.


	10. Snow Days (Sana & Kokoro)

Being invisible had its perks, but Sana did not utilize most of them.

Take the clothes heaped in her basket for example.

They should have had price tags that could be scanned at the self check-out counters, but which were instead missing. The ones that did have tags wouldn’t scan. She didn’t know how much they cost or their inventory code. She couldn’t ask any staff workers. Should she simply leave an estimated amount of money to cover the price and go? Grabbing the clothes and walking out of the store had never seemed more appealing before.

“Hey, do you need help?” An unfamiliar voice greeted her.

“Ah!?”

The newcomer was a well-built girl with strange loops in her hair, who was balancing a set of skis. Being able to see her, she had to be a magical girl. A vague hint of recognition lit up in Sana’s head. There was a girl who was never without a white-haired girl by her side, and had a faint smile that made Sana feel sad.

“Awane-san…?”

“That’s me! You’re Sana-chan right? We saw each other at the naming ceremony.”

“Yeah. Yeah I remember!” Sana clasped her hands together before pointing at the basket of clothes. “Could… you help me out? No one can see or hear me so I can’t ask anyone to ring up these items…”

Kokoro tilted her head, obviously confused, but quickly recovered. “No problem, I’ll get those for you!”

* * *

Outside the store, snow smothered the city. She felt like she could walk into the gentle snowfall and vanish.

Awane Kokoro bumped into her instead.

“Sorry, these skis are heavier than I thought.” She laughed as if to quell her own uneasiness.  
Sana tripped over her thoughts in a rush to reassure the girl.

“I-it’s okay! Thanks for helping me earlier. A-are you going skiing? We might be doing that. Ui-chan came up with the idea for the six of us at Mikazuki and I wanted to get proper clothes. It seems fun…”

“Yep I am! I was going to go with my family but it’ll be just me and a friend.” Was going to go with her family…? “Skiing’s great, you guys should have a blast! Hey if you don’t mind me asking, what happened back there?”

It was an innocent question with an awkward answer, but Sana had moved past those days, for the most part.

So she said, “My wish makes me invisible, so normal people can’t see me.”

“Wow that’s pretty cool! My friend can turn invisible too. Wait sorry, it sounds like it’s different for you. I should have been more considerate. I can’t imagine what would have happened that would lead to you wishing for something like that. Can your family not see you too?”

Something about the girl in front of her felt comforting, like she would naturally understand everything Sana had to say. Maybe it was because she had an almost mother-like atmosphere? So Sana could tell her. She was brave. She was stronger than what her family had done to her now. “They were why I made my wish… Being invisible ended up not being my real wish, but I’ve found a new family by becoming a magical girl.”

“Ooh.” Kokoro paused. She looked like she was having an internal debate. Quickly resolving her struggle, she said, “I’m sorry to hear it was because of your family. It’s sort of the same for me too actually; I also made my wish because of my family. Only, unlike you, I’m still trying to put them back together. My friend told me it’s not my responsibility but sometimes I can’t help but try. It gets lonely without them, you know? But, they’re also not always the nicest to me, so I’ve learned to take some space when I need it. I think you’re really strong though, Sana-chan, for having accepted the consequences of your wish and making the best of it.”

She gave a smile, and Sana felt immeasurable sadness at the loneliness she saw in it. She knew that type of attitude, that struggled between passively accepting everything others threw at them to uncontrollably lashing out at the unfairness of it all. But there was strength too in her smile and the sureness of her stance. This was someone hadn’t been valued as much as she should have been until recently but was facing her demons one by one.

Sana knew what that struggle was like, deep in her bones.

She blurted out, “U-um, do you want to be friends…? I-I know what it feels like to be lonely and I don’t want anyone else to go through that! I think you’re really strong too! Maybe we could even ski together…! Your friend can come too!”

Kokoro looked surprised, but then pleased. It was a smaller smile than the sad ones she showed before, but it was also more genuine, and a bit more open.

She laughed and said, “That sounds nice, Sana-chan. I’ll ask Masara-chan. We should head home before this snow buries us, but let’s exchange contact info!”

Snow drifted past them, sticking to their hair and caps and everything. Snow usually made Sana feel invisible and lonely, but right now, she didn’t mind it as much. This chance encounter made her feel a little warmer, a little more visible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sana... Ah yes, Sana. I had to write something with her. There are many elements of her in-game story that could be expanded upon, and I wish there was more about the impacts of abuse.
> 
> Her companion in this story was found completely inorganically, by me looking through a list of all magical girls and trying to find someone who also had issues with loneliness/family. XD But once I remembered Kokoro, their similarities slotted into place. I think they really could be friends.


	11. Natural Smells/Perfume (Ria & Mayu)

“Delphi Springs.”

Ding ding went the bell. The audience roared at the correct answer being provided, which had stumped all the other contestants.

“The winner is Ami Ria!”

She preened even while blindfolded, tossing her hair for her fans, confident in the magnificence of her beauty and dignity.

“This much is only natural for me! When it comes to high-class perfumes, who else could match my level of knowledge!? No one!”

Assorted voices called out. “Yeah that’s Ami Ria! So refined!” “Of course she’d only use the most elegant of scents to perfume herself!” “Ria-chan, don’t walk into the pole!”

Wait what?

Ria walked into the pole.

“Ow!”

Shaken out of her daydream, she held her head in her hands, doing her best to not swear. Swearing was very uncouth and utterly debased for a lady like her.

Mayu ran back to comfort Ria. “Ria-chan, are you okay? Do you need a bandage? Ice pack? It looks a little red.”

“Red???” Ria clutched at her face. “I can’t have a bruise swelling on my forehead while I’m live on the game show!”

“It’ll be alright, Ria-chan. It’s not that bad, see?” Mayu held up a hand mirror.

After checking her features, Ria’s attitude changed in the blink of an eye. “Of course, fear not, Kozue-san. I have everything under control. I shall participate without a hitch while looking the natural beauty I always am.”

“That’s just like you, Ria-chan,” Mayu said in admiration. “You look as perfect as always!”

Ria gave a high-pitched laugh that bordered on shrillness. “Yes, and with my extensive knowledge of perfumes, I will dominate the viewing in beauty and poise!”

She marched off, and Mayu trailed behind, nervously smiling to herself. Maybe now wasn’t the time to remind Ria the game show was about making perfumes, not identifying them.


	12. Cabin Fever (??? & Hanna)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this is not fluff. If that's all you're interested in, skip this.
> 
> It doesn't fit the overall theme but I like it anyway.

Boring. Everything was always so boring.

The same sky floated by every day.

The scuttling always disturbed her daydreaming before she could fully immerse herself in a fantasy.

The chains tied to her legs prevented her from flying away when her dandelion thoughts grew light enough for it.

The screaming got annoying when her jailors found intruders.

She could never see what was beyond that sky, beyond her piece of sanctuary.

This was alright, however.

She would stay on the rooftop forever.

But one day, an intruder visited her rooftop, ruining her daydream of scrumptious spaghetti hot dogs. She felt its footsteps land heavily on the fingers and hands of her jailors, grinding them into dust just for good measure after the shock it’d given them. She felt mild indignation. It was so noisy, couldn’t it quiet down?

It twirled a key around its finger and calmly said, “What do we have here?”

She readied her hooks, intent on throwing the invader off her territory.

It pointed its staff at her. “ _Stop. Listen to me._ ”

Magic sunk into her primitive consciousness and demanded that she obey. Without fuss, she lowered herself until her brooch face was right next to the trespasser. Too much effort to resist. She simply wanted to think in peace.

“You want to see what’s outside of your tiny little labyrinth, don’t you?” A mad gleam distorted the intruder’s violet eyes. “And to do that you have to _remove everyone_ who’s getting in the way of your daydreaming. I’ll give you that.”

She did want to leave, didn’t she? That’s right, she used to want to leave the rooftop. But she convinced herself the rooftop was enough for her. Everything would be fine as long as she could think in peace. In her dreams, she could be light as a dandelion, float through the sky above the masses who didn’t understand her. There would be no bullies, no disappointed teachers, no scolding parents. If she could remove all of them, everyone that wouldn’t accept her, she could finally leave the rooftop.

The more she took in the intruder’s words, the more they twisted her mind in a new direction.

She stirred, unrest rising at her long captivity. Unfair. It was all unfair.

The creature standing below her, man-catcher wreathed in umbra, smiled savagely. Unhinged grief widened its eyes and cracked its voice.

“ _Listen to me_ , witch,” the manipulator cried. “Let’s mess up all of these heroes’ lives!”


	13. Outdoors (Rena/Kaede)

“Rena-chaaaaan, wait for me!”

“This was your idea, Kaede! You hurry up!”

“Fuyuu, why am I the only one carrying this!?”

Kaede panted, tipping her straw hat backwards where it wouldn’t fall into her face. She carried a picnic basket loaded with a wide assortment of pastries and other snacks.

“Because you’re my servant obviously! And I didn’t want to be here!”

Rena stormed ahead.

“It’s such a nice day, you would have missed out on this sunshine. This is way better than your overcrowded, stinky idol concerts!”

“Take that back!”

Their bickering continued. It was a habit as routine as getting dressed in the morning. Unmediated by the leader of their group, they were still shoving and pushing each other when they reached their destination.

“Why’d you stop. Is this it?”

“It’s the park spot I bring Pero, Ha, and Don to when it’s warm!” She rushed to push the basket down. Stretching, she said, “Can you take out the blanket, Rena-chan?”

“Hmph. You’re lucky I love you,” Rena declared, flushing despite her blunt words.

Kaede’s cheeks felt warm too. Her heart couldn’t keep up with how cute Rena was.

“Y-yeah! Lucky!” Flustered she didn’t have the bite to tease Rena.

There was awkward silence as they laid out the picnic. But silence didn’t suit either.

Rena cleared her throat. “D-don’t expect me to be saying that every day or anything! U-uh, but, you’re the only person who could stand me for this long, so thanks for putting up with my bad personality.”

“It’s nothing like that, Rena-chan! You’re really amazing and can do all of these things I can’t… I’m happy you’re okay with someone weak like me…”

Rena scoffed. “Shut up. Don’t say things like that about yourself. I’d rather have you eat my favorite pudding than hear that stupid stuff.”

“Really!? Then I’ll help myself!”

“Hey no! That was metaphorical!”

During their scuffle, Kaede pushed Rena down and then triumphantly began eating the pudding. She giggled. “Guess this is mine now!”

“No, it’s not, it’s both of ours.” Rena growled. She tackled Kaede, forcing her into a rough kiss.

Kaede gasped, and Rena snatched the half-eaten container from her and gulped the rest of the confection down.

“T-there. Now w-we’re even.”

Shame coursed through her. There was no way Kaede could have liked that, being kissed by someone as unlikable as she was. 

She felt Kaede approach her, but was too embarrassed to do the same back.

A hand firmly tilted her face upwards, and soft lips met her own.

They indulged in the sensations for a moment before pulling back.

Kaede, face red as her hair, said, “I love you too, Rena-chan.”

Rena sighed and pulled her into an embrace. Secretly, she felt so relieved her limbs turned to goo. 

In typical Rena fashion she said, “Y-yeah, I guess you’re alright too, or something.”


	14. Music (Kamiha☆Magica)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://wiki.puella-magi.net/Magia_Record_Story_KamiFest:_Kamihama_Idol_Festival_2020

“Give it up for Kamiha☆Magica!”

Enthusiastic cheering broke out. Glowsticks waved in the audience.

The five members of the local idol group struck a pose as they were spotlighted one by one. Fans screamed. Shockingly, there were more audience members than the usual supporters. It was going to be a wild and fun night. They would guarantee that.

“Everyone, thank you for coming to the first live of our original song!” Iroha-chan announced, waving to the audience. “We’re so excited to share our hard work with people who aren’t just close friends!”

“We really hope you like our performance!” Kako squeaked.

“This is for old and new fans: everyone who’s supported us in the past year we did more photoshoots than singing, as well as everyone who found us through our viral videos!” Rena-chan winked cutely, just like how SayuSayu always did it.

“Yaaay monster-hunter Rena-chan!” She could vaguely discern those were Shigure and Hagumu’s voices.

Mami elegantly coughed. “Without further ado-“

“-please enjoy our totally original song we recorded with legitimate funding!” Rika concluded.

“Kamiha☆Magicaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!”

The instrumental track kicked in. A recorder smoothly entered: Da na da da daaa *squeak*, da ne noo, na*squeak*aa, naaa de da daaa, daaa, da ne *screech* daaa de do, doo ne naaa. Da, de da da da da *SQUEAL*, da de DAAAAAAAAA.

The last note drastically dropped in pitch, like a warped record.

That was her cue.

Iroha-chan took a breath in. 

Then she screamed, “DOUSHITE, HOSHIKUTE AGETAKU NAKUTE!”


	15. Energy Drinks/Caffeine (Sakurako & Hinano)

“| Hinano, why do you excessively drink these beverages? |” Sakurako surveyed the chemist slumped over her lab counter. A flop of green hair was all that could be seen above her white lab coat. Her hand clutched a glass bottle.

“| My database informs me that this Lipovitan is marketed to alleviate physical and mental fatigue, a beneficial side effect, but no more than 100 milliliters should be consumed per day. You imbibe quantities far surpassing this recommended dosage. |”

The magical girl groggily raised her head just enough so the bottle could reach her lips. She tilted it back, shook it, but nothing came out. She grumbled and dropped her head again.

She said, “Being an excellent scientist takes work, Sakurako, and so does getting into a good university, which means studying. Studying all night makes humans tired. Therefore energy drinks are needed to become semi-conscious again. Nothing bad can happen to me with a magical girl body, I’ve tested it before. Five grams of taurine or half-a-liter a day can keep me going for four straight days. Ten grams…”

While Hinano rambled, Sakurako cocked her head. “| That is a suitable hypothesis and conclusion. A magical girl’s physiology is nothing like a normal human’s. I have added a note that magical girls can safely ignore recommended daily dosages. |” She turned her attention to one of the four opened bottles on the counter. A thin layer of liquid rested at its bottom. “| I was informed that being a Rumor, staying away from eating substances would be a good idea. Do you think the same applies for fluids? |”

Hinano stirred, a fraction more alert than she was before. “Why are you asking…”

Sakurako picked up the inconspicuous brown bottle and examined its contents. They swished around.

“| Iroha and Ui seem to greatly enjoy the act of consuming organic substances. When I search my database, results for “experience of eating” suggest eating is a pleasurable, community-building action. None satisfactorily answer my questions, however, as to why eating is so venerated. I am therefore curious. |” Her arm mechanically bended.

“Hey wait, don’t do that! As your pseudo-guardian at school, I can’t let anything bad happen to you!” Finally shaken out of her sleep-deprived stupor, Hinano lunged at the Rumor. 

Someone opened the lab door. “Hey Hinano-san, have you seen Saku-”

A single drop entered Sakurako’s mouth. She swallowed.

Hinano grabbed her. “Shit how do you feel? Are you okay?”

Ryo slid into the room, “Uh, what’s happen-”

Sakurako looked blank. Her floral pink eyes lost their pupils.

Then they abruptly blew up in size, taking over a disproportionate amount of her iris. 

“|HinanoRyodidyouknowtaurineisanaminoacidimportantinseveralofthebody’smetabolicprocessesskipstudiessuggestthattaurinecombinedwithcaffeineimprovesmentalperformancehoweverfurtherresearchisneededskipitisfoundnaturallyinmeatfishdairyskipthisfindingremainscontroversialasdoestheuseoftaurineinenergydrinks- |”

Sakurako’s monotone rapid fire delivery filled the room, as the other two were stunned into silence.

Ryo automatically bought her camera up and took a picture.

The eldest in the room groaned and threw up her hands, which looked more like sleeves blowing in the wind due to her diminutive stature.

“It’s too early in the morning for this. Iroha and Yachiyo are going to kill me.”


	16. Dumb Bets (Kanoko & Asuka)

Kanoko liked exploring altered states of being to find inspiration for her out-of-the-world designs. Asuka liked the occasional drink after days of intense training and teaching. Some time in the future, they became happenstance drinking buddies. Fed-up with the low-quality options available at most bars, they embarked on a journey to create the perfect alcoholic beverage, taking their own paths in doing so given their creative differences. They swore to each other that their creation would be the masterpiece.

Now they had it. It was time to judge whose beverage would be worthy of becoming their weekly drink.

“Prwaise be to the Ryuushin-ryu Way!” Asuka slurred, liquid sloshing over the rim as she raised her glass. “Fermenting for weeks, refined over hundwreds of batches, with only the finest hand-picked ingredients, thas is the culmination of the Ryuushin Doojo’s intolerance of anything less than perfect!”

The (soon-to-be) fashion designer wasn’t much better off. Kanoko took her bottle and tipped more into her glass. She took a gulp and blearily pounded her hand on the kotatsu. “Ha, something like that can only ever be mediocre! No creativity, no mind applied to the art of wine-making, you think you can win with that? I drew up fermentation protocols, sampled for the right combination of ingredients, and used various original techniques to enhance the flavor! As soon as our bet is over, this vintage will be submitted to a contest where my talents will be better appreciated!”

Maybe they could have stopped one bottle in. Asuka never had high tolerance, and Kanoko was middling in her ability to hold her liquor. Two bottles drained, and they should definitely have called it a night. But both were determined to win and too wasted to see reason.

“For mine I souhgt out masters in the field to persoanlly teach me this process! This drink has their seal of approval and will be entered into our dojo’s hall of fame as a proud tradition! Guided by their expertise, your hackneyed, inexperienced drink couldn’t possibly compare!” 

Asuka grabbed one of Kanoko’s wine bottles and poured a quarter down her throat. She spat out a mouthful, coughing. 

“See, this is verily not drinkable! Whoever heard of spicy wine!? Spicy as in spiced with paprika, cumin, and Kami knows what other inglorious materials!? This is a disgrace to the field!” Asuka said, as if she was practiced in the industry.

Kanoko returned the favor and snatched Asuka’s glass. Taking a sip, she gagged. “You call this wine?? It’s as bitter and congealed as dish-water black coffee! As hard to digest as you are!”

“GRRRRRRRR,” Asuka sprang up. “The things you make never made sense when put together anyway!”

Kanoko teetered up, stumbling over a corner of the kotatsu. “My art will not be criticized by someone who simply can’t understand my genius!

The door slammed open.

They paused to look at the newcomer.

Sasara stood there, with heavy irritation apparent in her squared shoulders and set jaw. She glared at her roommate and then at Kanoko.

“I came as fast as I could once work was done, seeing as you didn’t reply to my texts. I told you two to work together on this project so you wouldn’t get into stupid, drunken arguments like this! Is it really worth betting on who has the better home-brewed mushroom wine!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I know what I was thinking when I wrote this?
> 
> Definitely not.


	17. Getting Caught (The Azaleas Bloom)

“Hello.” The visitor stood on the doorstep, flowers in her arms.

“Shhhhh, make sure you’re quiet,” Hazuki whispered as she let her in.

Nanaka lowered her voice, “Did you not say no one else is presently at home?”

“Well Konoha isn’t, but Ayame’s napping on the couch.”

“That will make things more difficult.”

“We can still do it right? It’s been a secret for so long, we can keep it that way for just a little longer.” Hazuki approached Nanaka, getting much closer into her personal bubble than the calculating girl would normally permit anyone do. Hazuki reached out.

A silent millisecond passed.

Then something rustled as Hazuki stepped backwards.

“Alright,” Hazuki whispered. “Come this way. And thank you for the flowers.”

They tiptoed past the sofa where Ayame lay snoring. Later Hazuki would have to remind her she had to sleep in her own bedroom. Sleeping upside-down couldn’t be good for her posture.

For now, they entered the room Hazuki and Konoha shared that contained their respective, separate twin beds. Hazuki’s bed was neatly made, in contrast to Konoha’s where the blankets were in disarray and stray clothes were thrown on top. It had to be one of the things Hazuki disliked the most about sharing a room with Konoha, even if Konoha was careful to never let it affect her side of the room. A two-bedroom place was the more affordable arrangement, however.

Two cushions were placed in the middle of the room closer to the door than the opposite wall. The room was slightly cramped and the reminder of the space was occupied, but that only made the setting more intimate.

Nanaka carefully kneeled on a cushion and sat seiza-style. She placed the flowers to the side. She had perfect sitting posture, which Hazuki couldn’t help but admire.

Hazuki put down the flowers she’d taken and sat on the other cushion.

She demurely said, “This is the first time I’ve done this, so please be kind.” She half-bowed, which almost seemed mocking.

Nanaka smiled mysteriously. They had never fully let down their defenses around each other, so the game continued. “Fortunately, this is my area of expertise. You would do well to follow my lead.”

* * *

They were so busy and focused, they must have lost track of the time.

Hazuki started when there was a knock.

“Hazuki? Are you in here?”

Oh no. She sprang up, knocking some of the fabric aside.

Konoha opened the door and entered, saying, “You didn’t answer when I was calling you from the other room, so I thoug-” She stopped talking in shock.

_This wasn’t how her plan was supposed to go._

Konoha found her voice again. “What is she doing here!? And what is all…”

She paused mid-sentence, staring.

Hazuki tried to frantically block the mess everywhere while Nanaka looked on calmly.

“Uh, this isn’t what it looks like, Konoha, I promise, that’s-”

Tears formed in Konoha’s eyes.

“You…”

The yellow azalea approached her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to find out yet. I mean-”

“You, you didn’t forget.” Konoha suddenly began bawling, tears streaming down her face. “You didn’t actually forget the anniversary of when we left the Azaleas House!”

She walked towards Hazuki and grabbed her, uncharacteristically willing to rely on someone else.

Hazuki gaped in shock. She consciously forced her mouth closed. Huh?

She gingerly hugged the blue azalea.

Behind the girls, with two cushions in front that were placed perfectly so two people could work on it with ease, a roughly put together miniature replica of the Azaleas House occupied the space between Hazuki and Konoha’s beds. Fabric orphans and a director populated the location. Azalea pieces littered the floor, either trimmed off petals and stems, or discarded failures.

Hazuki said, “I'm sorry it looks so bad, Nanaka was helping me with the flower arrangement. She could have made it perfect. Instead, I wanted to do it myself and she brought flowers for me to practice with, but none of the arrangements worked, they were too wonky. So the azaleas by the side of the House aren’t fully ‘planted’. And before, when it was actually the anniversary the house itself wasn’t done either, I had to ask Meiyui for help with the carpentry, Akira with the sewing, and Kako with looking up historical archives of the Azalea House’s design. I didn’t want you to find out when I didn’t know if it would even be completed-”

“Hazuki, it’s perfect. When you told us on the anniversary that you didn’t know what day it was, I was furious! I couldn’t believe you’d forgotten… and thought maybe it was because you were so busy meeting new people that we weren’t as important to you anymore…”

“Hey, hey, what’s happening? Are we having a group huddle? I want to join!”

As the red azalea completed the trio, and the azaleas shared their feelings and memories, and marveled at the little replica of the place immeasurably dear to them, Tokiwa Nanaka nodded to Hazuki when she caught her eye, announced that she would be leaving, and exited the house, carrying five less azaleas bouquets than she had when arriving. She smiled to herself as she returned home.


	18. Onsens (Akira & Emiri)

“Akira-chi!”

Footsteps pounded the wooden flooring.

“No, not doing it!”

The other guests looked askance at the pursuing and fleeing girl, one of whom was buck naked.

“You can’t come to an onsen and then not get into one~”

“Why do I have to get into one with you?? Also put your clothes back on when you’re outside!”

Akira bolted into a random room and tried to lock herself in it. The sliding door had no locks.

“Found you Akira-chi~” The blonde twin-tailed girl crashed into the room like a shooting star. “Ooh great pick, this onsen has a totes amazing feel!” She paused for barely a second before springing at her terrified friend. “Time to get our beauty rejuvenation on!”

“Waugh!”

The two of them splashed into the outdoors spring.

* * *

In the end, Emiri convinced Akira to properly enjoy the soak. Hunched into herself with her knees pulled up and her head practically underwater outside of her nose and eyes, Akira did not look like she was having fun.

“It was nice of everyone to reserve this spot for us given we’ve kept the counseling room open for months, but, uh, this isn’t what I’d usually do.”

Even as Akira said that, she was secretly happy she had an excuse to be here. Emiri wasn’t a bad onsen partner either, even if her standards of what was socially acceptable weren’t always up to par. Akira looked at the cloudy, lightly snowing sky so she wouldn’t accidentally glimpse, ahem, any private female features while Emiri splashed around. She was treating this more like a swimming pool than an onsen minus the swimsuit.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta live a little, Akira-chi! Take risks! Do things you’ll regret for the rest of your life! Embrace being young!”

“One of those doesn’t really seem like the others…?”

Emiri was pumped and boisterous as always. While Akira was a chronic savior of others who couldn’t say no to anyone in need, what Emiri did to help others was truly unique. With just a sentence or two, she could re-orient their perspective so they knew what to do next. It was one of those things Akira had to respect about her. No matter how much she complained or had to play the straight man to Emiri’s oblivious man, she wasn’t ever going to stop helping her.

She smiled. Emiri’s energy was always infectious and no one was around anyway. Akira unwound from her ball. “Alright, alright. I’ll loosen up.”


	19. Misunderstandings (Aimi/Hayato)

“…so I’ve always liked you! Aimi-san, if you’re okay with it, please go out with me!” The boy who’d marched up to her after class ended and asked to talk to her in private swung his body downwards almost ninety degrees.

Ah! This was it! It was just like how she’d imagined a confession going in her daydreams! There was the nervous, confident stuttering, the intimacy of the back of the school shrouded by shrubbery and trees, and a heart-pounding declaration of love.

Only… it wasn’t who she wanted to hear this from.

What should she do?

Aimi twirled her hair around her finger and haltingly said, “Um, sorry, there’s already someone I like.” If only Hayato were here to take her away like a gallant knight!

Her classmate looked crestfallen. “Oh, that’s cool. I, uh-”

“What’s going on here?”

Those words were honey to her ears. She shaded her eyes as the afternoon sun rendered the newcomer as dazzling as unbridled fire. Her heart stampeded like a horde of wild horses.

“Hayato!”

“Aimi.” He smiled at her. “I was waiting for you so we could walk home together, but you never showed up. I’m here to pick you up.”

She turned into a crimson, blushing tomato. He’s so sweet, he’s so sweet, he’s so sweet- “T-t-thank you!”

The boy she’d rejected looked between them before meekly murmuring a goodbye and slinked away.

The love of her life pondered his retreating back. “Sorry, were you interested in him?”

She hurriedly corrected his misunderstanding, “Nope not a drop not by an inch! There’s someone else who’s been on my mind actually.”

Oh no she said it! What would Hayato think?

He bit his lip, which was a cute habit he’d always had since Aimi met him. It meant he was deciding on something. 

Then he abruptly said, “Aimi, do you mind if I tell you something? It’s, about you.”

“I’ll always listen to anything you have to say!” Adorable. He was so considerate and thoughtful, asking for her permission.

He scratched his head. “You know, seeing that guy made me realize, you’re a great catch.”

“R-r-really? You’re the charmer here.”

“I’m serious, Aimi,” he earnestly said, the boy who was already a man in kindness and maturity. He took her hand. Her chest felt tight with anticipation. Her other hand automatically went up to cover her mouth as she gasped. “We’ve known each other for years, you’re good-hearted, supportive, and always there for your friends, the list of amazing things about you is endless!”

Her stomach joined her heart in frantically palpitating.

“It took me too long to realize this, but Aimi, for a long time, I’ve been in love with you.”

He went down on one knee, while still holding her hand, and she began openly crying. He vulnerably looked up at her, and his chocolate-brown eyes conveyed boundless love and affection.

“Will you do me the honor of dating me, Aimi?”

Carried away by drafts of pure joy, she cried out, “Yes, absolutely!”

“You will? That makes me so happy! Thank you for the opportunity, Aimi-san!” Someone replied, someone who was definitely not Hayato and did not have his mellow baritone voice.


	20. Ghosts (Kanagi & Ryo)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the Halloween Castle event. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPVcjPj6m8A&feature=youtu.be

The Day of the Dead came and went. The Halloween play was a success, as always, fueled by Karin’s enthusiasm and Kamihama’s cooperation.

She and Momoko paid their respects to the dead.

What was left, curled up and drying by simple tombstones, were the last mementos Kanagi intended to leave when it came to remembering bygone friends. There would be no more obvious mourning for at least another year. No more ghosts of the past to put to rest.

A faint whisper entered her mind, as inconspicuous as dust. “That maid outfit fits you better than I would expect.”

She gave a thoughtful hum and adjusted her skirt in the mirror. “You have seen it before, have you not? I would have invited you to visit so I could serve you.”

The voice was silent.

Then it said, “My memory’s hazy.”

“Do not worry. Mine is too,” Kanagi told the voice coated with dust.

She’d asked Mitama what she thought could be going on. Although the Coordinator could still adjust her without issue, she warned Kanagi that there were very, very fine cracks running throughout the surface of her soul gem, slick with foreign magic. They might have destroyed the witch possessing her, but after combining her magic with the witch’s for an extended period of time, some contamination remained.

Kanae stopped by every Saturday so far, quiet and reticent as always, and once in a blue moon they conversed. Kanagi barely knew what a guitar sounded like, yet strumming and barely detectable songs of hope filtered into the back of her mind when the former gang leader was present.

Other Eastside girls came too. No matter how they died, who she was to them, they never told her how to mourn or who she should be.

It was selfish. Just what her selfish desires wanted.

Mel never appeared.

Currently the faint silhouette of a sure-footed photographer haunted her. She was looking at her camera.

She made a noise of approval. “Here we go. This was taken XX/XX/XXX when you drew a cute ketchup cat. I must have been there.”

Kanagi took a look and absentmindedly acknowledged that was the case.

Ryo organized her memories for her, slotted back in the missing pieces and revealed the truth within them. Being able to read her own mind sure was convenient. If she ever took a test again, this would be a useful skill to come in handle.

But just as Ryo revealed the truth through her camera lens, so did Kanagi reveal the truth with her monocle.

Where the other magical girl sat in the dressing room, was empty air.

Even so, Ryo examined Kanagi and said, “You should take out those splinters in your heart.”

What was an unthinkable decision just a month ago now seemed like the only logical action to take.

“I agree. I have had my fill of seeing everyone again. You have once again been kept here by my selfishness and you have my gratitude for that.”

Ryo laughed. “We are but ghosts, figments of your grief. Thank yourself, not us.”

Kanagi prepared to begin her shift. She said to Ryo, “Tomorrow, I will have Yakumo assist me in repairing the damage the witch did.”

By the time she left the room, it was already empty.

Still, a velvet voice spoke without her being aware of it, “You’ve finally properly mourned. I’m proud of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This did not do justice to the sheer power of VKanagi's event, at all. But this is a tribute to it and some day I might revisit it while giving it the proper amount of time it deserves. I highly recommend watching/reading Halloween Castle if you haven't already. It is without a doubt one of MR's best and most meaningful stories.


	21. Christmas Shopping (Mikage & Sudachi)

Christmas was the season of consumer purchases, decadent with merchandise, decorations, store hawkers pouncing on potential buyers, and a general atmosphere of festivity that tended to loosen people’s wallets.

After all, how could you deny your loved ones the perfect gift that they were looking for?

In the Yakumo household, things looked a little different.

“Neecha, it’s just for a year!” Mikage waved her phone in her unrelenting sister’s face. “Once a month for a year, pleeease!”

Mitama apologetically smiled. “That’s a bit too much, Mii. These games are expensive and you would want to spend more if we ever get you started. The candy store obaa-san even says it right? We can’t have you become a gambler now, can we?”

“Awwww,” Mikage pouted. She never got the funnest stuff she wanted. But she had to be mature and take it in stride like an adult. “Okay, Mii understands, Neecha. We don’t have the money for that.”

“Why don’t you get a little something with Sudachi-chan? Here’s your pocket money just for the holidays. Don’t tell mom and dad.” Mitama winked.

Despite her earlier zen acceptance of the unchangeable situation, Mikage’s eyes lit up with childish glee.

“You’re the best big sister, Neecha!” She hugged Mitama and then bolted.

* * *

“Fumumu?” What are you excited about? Mikage internally translated her mumbling.

“Look, Mii’s rich, Sudachi-chan!”

Mikage waved her shiny (faded), new (rather wrinkled) 1000 yen note in the air.

“Fumuu!” That’s great! Sudachi clenched her fists and nodded in excitement.

“Hehe let’s go to the more adult districts, Sudachi-chan. We’ll be just like everyone else at the malls and shopping on the streets!”

* * *

They pranced around Kamihama’s main shopping district, or more accurately Mikage pranced and Sudachi half-skipped when Mikage’s enthusiasm became too infectious. They window shopped at every store, noses pressed against the glass separating them from the chic cardigans or whistling toy train sets inside. Sometimes funny girls wearing scandalous Santa costumes stood outside stores and called to passersby. The two elementary schoolers had fun teasing one blue-haired girl whose assets were ill-matched for the dimensions of her outfit. They finally ran away when the blue-haired girl started towards them, red in the face, and threatened to report them to their guardians.

It was the most fun Mikage had had in ages.

Eventually she exchanged her 1000 yen note for a small gift for her sister and treats for her and Sudachi. Shopping like an adult was still far beyond their capabilities but it was enjoyable to pretend. They ended their day chomping on sweet crepes close to Kamihama Square’s evergreen centerpiece.

“Hey, what’s that? It’s bunny-shaped but looks like a cat too!” Mikage pointed at an ornament placed high up on the Christmas tree.

“Fumumumuu!” Sudachi exclaimed through a mouthful of chocolate syrup and cream.

“Yeah you’re right Mii can’t tell either.”

Winding down from the long day, Sudachi and Mikage leaned against each other, comfortable enough to rely on the other without hesitation. Mikage chewed the crispy wrapping and swallowed her last bite. Her taste buds were satisfied and so was her heart. If this was what having friends felt like, she hoped they could always be friends.

As if she’d read her mind, Sudachi chose this moment to telepathically communicate with her. “This was fun! Let’s go shopping again soon, Mikage-chan! Next time we’ll bring 1500 yen.”

Mikage giggled. “Definitely, Sudachi-chan. We’re gonna return together over and over until we’re proper adults and can buy anything we want! Let’s be friends forever!”


	22. Video Chats (Mitsune/Jun)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know who Jun and Mitsune are, here's the relevant event summary: https://wiki.puella-magi.net/Magia_Record_Story_Girls_in_the_Hood

“Testing, can you hear me?” Jun’s room looked bare and unlived in. Moving boxes dotted the place. Jun herself was as sunny as before.

“…yeah…” Mitsune whispered almost inaudibly. It’d only been a week since Jun moved to another city, but Mitsune felt scared again trying to talk to her.

“Cool, cool, wow your room’s dark. Can’t see a thing outside of your lamp’s radius. We’re living in the same Japan aren’t we?” Jun joked, easy-going and casual.

Mitsune knew it was impossible for her to change, yet she was the one who’d suggested video chatting over the Internet using a relatively obscure software. She’d even left her house to buy a webcam. Somehow, the princess couldn’t help wanting to know more about the world the prince came from.

“…sorry hikkimoris don't keep the shades open.”

“Haha you should lighten it up then! Get it, like lightening the mood and your room.”

…

Were all people as weird as Jun?

Still, it must be part of her magic.

* * *

A month later, they had their next call. Mitsune fretted over when she could ask for another call and her conundrum was solved for her when Jun proposed the idea. She leapt at the chance to move from daily, anxiety-provoking texts that she constantly over thought to anxiety-provoking but somehow also relaxing (when with Jun) talking.

Jun looked the same. Same silly squid hoodie and same resting smile. Her room was a bit more lived in now. Her bedsheets were covered with what looked like cuttlefish. Why was it everywhere? She didn’t know much about Jun, besides that she was some sort of magical, witch-fighting superhero. Weren’t there anime about that? She’d have to do some research.

After the perfunctory conversation, Mitsune struck up the courage to initiate a question.

“…what’re the squid things you… wear all the time…? ……they’re on your bed too.”

“Ooh, good question. This is Ika! He’s my favorite mascot.”

They then engaged in a surprisingly interesting conversation on candy brands, animal mascots, and cuttlefish. Mitsune left the call smiling, feeling she was learning more about Jun.

…Going to school would be too much, but maybe the kids at the Tomorrow Shop were feeling lonely without their big sister around.

* * *

Another month passed. Mitsune spent her days cooped up in her room, browsing the internet and posting anonymously on forums per usual. Her parents unsuccessfully tried to lure her out every so often. She texted Jun whenever possible.

> Anonymous: How many minutes do people usually wait before they reply to messages?

Jun always asked about her. She wondered how her day went, or if Kyubey had talked to her, or what new shows she’d watched. It was more than a hikkimori like her could ask for really.

> Anonymous: lol wonder if Rapunzel could escape even if she had short hair. probably not?

She’d lost her nerve when she tried to visit the Tomorrow Shop. There were so many kids there, and she’d always been scared of talking to them, so the nervousness returned without her prince being present.

However, the children caught sight of her, remembering her from their detective investigation, end-of-the-rainbow chasing, and bravery in saving their friend’s phone. This was another boon her prince had tossed her, a rung on the ladder. The children subsequently dragged her along on their adventures.

Amid their screaming and giggling, turning over rocks to look for secret treasure, and as strange as it was to say, as a hopeless, good-for-nothing hikkimori…

She felt alive that day, far from the video screen and yet not from Jun and the kids she'd protected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm proud to say I accurately guessed how Mitsune talks before I ever personally read her lines on JP.


	23. Cooking Disasters (Manaka & Leila)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!
> 
> My brain is dying from so many prompts but the last two chapters will be posted sometime during the 25th. Thanks for having stuck with this for so long!

The holiday season was a great time for cooking. Requests for them at private events increased, more customers trickled in, and the kitchen bustled with frantic activity. Dishes streamed out, each made or personally checked by Manaka to ensure only the highest quality meals left their kitchen door. The list of orders was never-ending and the customers’ expectations were sky-high. 

Perhaps it was only natural the subsequent events occurred.

“Hey everyone, ready for the night? Let’s get to our battle stations!” 

First there was the chef who called in sick on Christmas Day. He apologized profusely over the phone, and while Manaka reassured him it wasn’t his fault, the end result was still that they were short-staffed on one of the busiest days of the year.

This was still manageable, however. Even if her father was in Hokuyo Ward cooking for some wealthy elites, she could take over for the chef, no problem.

“Inu-san, please prepare the curry!”

Second, there were the missing ingredients. Through a clerical error made weeks ago, incorrect amounts of each ingredient they needed to stock up on were delivered for these two weeks.

“We’re out of potatoes, tomatoes, and eggs??? But those are staples!”

Then, worst of all, there was Manaka.

When Leila walked into Walnuts, intending to order a quick something before her gift exchange, she sensed the warzone she’d being transported to. Every table was full and guests were pleasantly chatting but also throwing glances at the kitchen. A harried waiter informed her there was upwards of an hour wait for all orders placed at this time and because they could not guarantee a spot on the waitlist, due to reservations taking priority, to please consider returning another time.

But just as Leila was about to leave, Manaka caught sight of her.

She called and hurried over, “Hey Leila! Fancy catching you here.” Her chef’s hat was battered and wrinkled from stymied gripping.

“Hey Manaka! Merry Christmas! Walnuts sure is packed today.”

“Yep it is. Okay I’m just going to be blunt cause I don’t have time. Can you help me out again? You perfectly replicated our special walnuts cake on your first try, won us the contest, and I could really use someone skilled like you.”

“Ah, but I’m seeing Seika and Mito in an hour…” She also couldn’t help but feel that helping an entire restaurant was worlds removed from making one cake for a contest.

“You can take any cake, pastry, whatever you want even if you’re helping for just an hour! Sorry this is really unlike me, but I can’t do this myself. So please.” She put her hands together and bowed. 

When Leila took in Manaka’s bedraggled state, she couldn’t say no. This restaurant was Manaka’s life. As fellow bakers and cooking enthusiasts, she could spare an hour.

“You don’t have to do that! I’ll help for sure. Where should I get started?”


	24. Mistletoe (Alina/Karin)

Christmas Eve. Alina painted in the art club classroom. She slashed a line of paint against the canvas, examined it, then flicked more drops onto it in a dotted, horizontal line. Then she scowled, grabbed the canvas and cracked it in half. Another addition to the pile of worthless firewood building up in the corner.

Just as she obtained a fresh canvas, the door cautiously opened. A head of purple hair popped in. Karin’s face lit up like she’d spotted a bag of abandoned candy.

“Senpai!” She shouted. She shot into the room and unnaturally inched forward, keeping something concealed behind her back at all times. “Merry Christmas Eve!”

“Yes yes, I told you to not bother me when I’m working fool girl.” Alina sat on her stool.

“Well I’ve got a trick for you!” Karin suddenly whipped out what she’d hidden behind her back, not that Alina cared what it was, and dangled it above their heads. “Trick and treat! You-you know what this means.”

The idiota was blushing. Alina didn’t even bother looking at what she’d pulled out.

“Yes, I’m aware you are testing my patience.”

“It’s mistletoe! You have to kiss if you meet someone underneath it!”

“That has nothing to do with me. A sappy, overused cliche glorified by the masses gives me no ispirazione…” Alina narrowed her eyes. But what if she took advantage of the mistletoe’s nature as a parasite? It would be a subject of beauty then, its tendrils sinking into the seaso-

“It’s not sappy! It’s romantic!” Karin persisted. “In fact, in volume 35, Magical Kirin used it to show a bickering couple the true meaning of Christmas is to love each other instead of getting distracted by-”

Alina interrupted. “Alina’s beauty is the only thing that matters to Alina. I have no interest in your blithering. If you don’t have any serious ideas, get out.”

“Fine! I’ll show you how it’s beautiful! And I want a k-ki-kiss when I’m done. A-as the treat to my trick!” Karin flushed crimson as a candied apple, ripe for eating, as she scribbled furiously on her sketchpad.

“Deal.” The genius artist smirked. She moved closer so she could examine Karin’s progress. “If your artwork is lackluster per usual and I remain unconvinced of the beauty of trite Christmas sayings and symbols, your strawberry milk over the next seven days are mine.”

She drowned out the Halloween-obsessed girl’s complaints but paid close attention to her pencil’s strokes and the firmness of her lines. This was turning out to be an amusing Christmas Eve after all. Who knew, something interesting could come out of it.


	25. Love Confessions (Yachiyo/Iroha)

“~Mince pie, pecans, baking for us all~”

The person sang loudly and slightly out of tune. 

A softer, less brassy voice joined in: 

“Roast ham, Christmas cake, so much to eat~”

Someone sweet-sounding and cheerful concluded:

“Happily, happily, waiting for toniiiiiiight!”

While the others labored over their Christmas dinner, Yachiyo and Iroha were taking a well-deserved break. Iroha had been up since the crack of dawn preparing numerous dishes for the party that practically all of Kamihama (and even some girls outside of Kamihama) were going to attend.

“What’s mince pie?” A fourth person asked standing just outside the kitchen.

“It’s what we’re making! It’s a desert commonly eaten in some western countries. Feliciaaa, it’s tasty, you can get a bite if you help Sana with the udon.”

“Aw, there’s no meat. No thanks.”

From the living room, Yachiyo called to the girl she still thought of as a capricious child, even though she was a teenager now, “There’s yakitori too. You won’t get any if you don’t work as hard as everyone else.”

Felicia snorted. “Yeah I know, ‘mom’, it was a joke.” She rolled up her sleeves and entered the fray. Despite how much she’d frustrated Yachiyo with her disobedience over the years, the former mercenary had grown more mature and less temperamental.

They had all changed. Tsuruno didn’t force herself to smile anymore when she was actually sad. Sana was growing into a leader, organizing magical girls and community members alike in efforts to end interpersonal violence. Ui was still determined to be a music teacher and was worldlier, not as reliant on her friends or sister for direction.

As for herself, well…

Yachiyo looked at the girl quietly sleeping despite the chaos occurring nearby, who was using her lap as a pillow, and felt the strongest surge of affection.

It’d been a long time from the moment they first met each other, when Yachiyo saved her from the labyrinth and deposited her somewhere Momoko could find. This was as close to paradise as it could get, she thought, something unimaginable for the first seven years of her magical girl life.

She was happy.

She gently scooped Iroha up and let the others know she was putting Iroha in bed, before ascending upstairs.

Ironically, once tucked in, Iroha stirred.

“…Yachiyo?” 

Warmth bubbled from the pits of her stomach. Being referred to without honorifics, by this girl specifically, still made her feel giddy sometimes.

“I should have stayed downstairs if you’d have slept better there.”

“Hehe, maybe I just can’t bear being apart from everyone. The silence is deafening without them.” Yachiyo felt Iroha hug her from behind. Iroha pulled the blankets around both of their shoulders. “It’s perfect with you though.”

It felt like her blood was on the verge of boiling when Iroha kissed the side of her neck.

“When did you become such a charmer?” She said, letting Iroha hold her for now.

“You taught me everything I know.” She could hear the teasing smile in her voice. “You should thank yourself.”

Yachiyo faced Iroha. 

She saw the lovely braids in Iroha’s hair, the relaxed confidence Iroha could never have possessed when she first entered Kamihama, and the cherry blossom-shaded eyes that grew brighter each year with added joy and collected grief. They sparkled, from the greater richness of life she could experience. They shone with the light of the future Yachiyo had never quite managed to grasp herself.

Yachiyo quietly said, “I should thank you, Iroha. I love you.”

That affection was mirrored as Iroha smiled and said, “I love you too, Yachiyo.”

They met in the middle, and Yachiyo could only think that this was a piece of the real heaven she had been looking for all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of being thorough, there will be one more chapter, as was suggested on the original prompt list.
> 
> ...
> 
> I love these two.


	26. Days After (Finale)

Chattering filled the restaurant, the excited conversation of well-acquainted magical girls. In one corner, Manaka argued with an off-site manager, “There can’t be another booking at this time. I checked our calendar every day! Can you tell that customer-” 

As Manaka continued her tirade, Mito loudly whispered, “Seika, Leila, lookit what I found!”

In her hand was an ordinary acorn.

She said, “I bet it tastes like that Walnuts cake you got for us on Christmas, Leila!”

“They’re different types of nuts, Mito. Acorns are generally too bitter to eat. ” Leila good-naturedly told her friend.

“Y-yeah, they’re ‘nut’ for consumption,” Seika added. Too much of her teacher’s instincts were rubbing off on her.

At that point new guests entered the restaurant. It was Ria with Sayuki and Mayu in tow, as she complained about not getting onto some game show or another, after a previous “stunning performance”.

At another table, Mitama showed off a candy bar to Momoko and Kanagi. Iroha overheard something about that being the present her little sister got for her. Momoko questioned if that was really a Christmas present. She hastily backtracked as Mitama gave her an unnervingly sweet smile.

Speaking of little sisters, Iroha wondered how her sister was doing.

She only had to look at where Sakurako was sitting, protectively holding the little Kyubey, to find Ui. After the coffee incident, Nemu and Touka reprogrammed Sakurako to get her properly functioning again. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Ui and Mokyu. 

Ui’s body sat stiffly at an adjacent table. The little Kyubey occupying her body turned her head from side to side following Felicia and Tsuruno’s card game like it was a tennis match.

Ui, meanwhile, looked like she was chirping away at a magical girl duo. Rika giggled at the series of “mokyu” sounds Ui was making, though the laughter was more likely directed at whatever she had just telepathically said. They thankfully discovered Ui could still use telepathy while in the former Incubator’s shell, but she still tried to speak, saying she didn’t feel right not verbally communicating. 

After Sakurako stood up, taking Ui with her, Rika turned to the white-haired girl sitting next to her and briefly whispered something. A shy smile lit up Ren’s visage. Iroha didn’t know them well, but she thought it was wonderful they seemed happy together.

“-ha-san! Iroha-san!”

Iroha looked up with a start.

“Sana-chan! Oh and-!” Besides the formerly-invisible girl was another, who smiled and waved at Iroha.

“Nice to see you again, Iroha-chan.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Kokoro-chan! The skiing trip was fun! I’m happy Sana-chan became friends with someone like you. Is Masara-san here today?”

“Yep, she’s on her way! I got here early and saw Sana-chan-”

They exchanged pleasantries and conversation. Eventually Kokoro went to join Masara, still cheerfully smiling at Sana’s last words. 

The swell of the lively Kamihama girls surrounding her filled up the all the places silence could hide. At this New Years Eve party, Iroha didn’t have the space to think about things just all by herself. There was no space to be consumed by stray, doubtful thoughts. But there was space to be grateful for the past year and the changes that had occurred within, as strange as some of them had been. The past year had been a struggle, filled with new challenges, new pains, and the new year was sure to be just as uncertain.

She caught sight of Yachiyo coming back from where she had been talking to Manaka with Mifuyu and the twins. Even across the room, she could see the slight tilt of her head and the smile that was only meant for Iroha.

The hollowness within retreated.

Knowing that was the signal, Iroha stood up.

She called, “Um, hi everyone…”

Her voice dwindled away into silence. Too quiet. Almost invisible. Sana gave her an encouraging, fervent nod and Iroha took a deep breath in.

“Everyone!” She shouted, with her voice and her mind.

All conversation stopped as the girls of Kamihama turned to her expectantly. There was silence. But it was now silence that Iroha would fill.

“Thank you all for being here today! We’re going to officially get our New Year’s Eve celebration started!”

The girls cheered as Manaka and her chefs and assistants bought out the courses. Iroha sat down with a deep breath.

This past year had been uncertain, and the upcoming year would be too. But she was different from the her of before. Those hollow parts of her were filled with new sounds. As she always would, in the only way that she could, now and later-

She would walk into the future, head held high, with everyone around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This last chapter was quite self-indulgent. I basically wrote whatever I wanted to. Over this month, I've actually gotten quite attached to some of the scenarios and ficlets that came up, so this was a way of wrapping up as many of them as possible.
> 
> To everyone who's read a single word of these chapters, thank you. I hope you've enjoyed reading any of these experimental, random works!
> 
> And to everyone in general, have a happy new year. :)


End file.
